“Countries do look to Australia for direction for guidance and leadership,” she told the Nine Network on Monday.

Bishop said Australia must compose a coherent national climate and energy policy to present at international conferences.

“We don’t have a national energy policy in this country and a national approach to climate change … we are part of a global effort,” she said.

“If a country like Australia fails to show leadership, we can hardly blame other nations for not likewise showing leadership in this area.”

In the face of mounting pressure, Scott Morrison defended his record on climate change over the weekend.

The prime minister claimed his government had always made the connection between climate change and extreme weather conditions.

Morrison said Australia was focusing on beating its emissions reductions targets and argued what other countries did was a matter for them.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale is not impressed.

“This should be a wake-up call to every single member of the political establishment in Australia,” Di Natale told ABC radio.

“The reality is we’ve had a prime minister who has chosen to effectively work as a lobbyist for the coal industry at a time when he should have been keeping Australians safe.”

He said Australia should be phasing out coal-fired power and preventing the construction of any new coal mines.

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